The campground became the unofficial base of operations. Volunteers camped there for weekends of electrofishing surveys and water sampling. Local kids from nearby Glouster painted wooden cutouts of the mottled, wrinkly salamanders, which the campground owner, a gruff former miner named Roy, nailed to every picnic table post.

In conclusion, Hellbender Campground is a hidden gem in southeastern Ohio, offering a unique and exciting outdoor experience for visitors of all ages. With its stunning natural surroundings, diverse recreational activities, and commitment to environmental conservation, this campground is an excellent choice for anyone looking to connect with nature and experience the best of what Ohio has to offer.

The road to Hellbender Campground wound through the Wayne National Forest like a frayed green ribbon, narrowing from asphalt to gravel as the canopy of oaks and maples closed overhead. For most of the year, the campground was a quiet afterthought—a few scattered sites for anglers targeting bass in the meandering Sunday Creek. But every July, the place transformed.

Every season brings a distinct atmosphere to the Ohio wilderness.

On-site facilities include two shower houses, a playground, a dog park, and hiking and biking trails .

She explained that the campground, named not for a demon but for the Cryptobranchus alleganiensis —the Eastern hellbender salamander—sat at the epicenter of one of the most successful amphibian recovery projects in state history. By the 1990s, pollution from abandoned coal mines had turned Sunday Creek orange with acid runoff. Hellbenders, which breathe entirely through their skin and need fast, clean, oxygenated water, had vanished.

By the time I reached the main road, my tires had kicked up a fine orange dust—not from pollution anymore, but from the dirt of a place where monsters live, and where people are finally glad to have them back.